RACING:VOLER LA Vedette has spent a lot of this season chasing Hurricane Fly, but Colm Murphy's top mare can make the most of a drop to Grade Two company at Navan tomorrow.
Voler La Vedette tackles the longest trip of her career in the Ladbrokes Boyne Hurdle and can score ahead of a season run-in that won’t include another attempt at Cheltenham’s David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham.
“She is in super form,” Murphy said yesterday. “It is a new trip for her, but she wasn’t stopping when third in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle over two-and-a-half miles and she looks as if she is crying out for a trip nowadays.
“She would probably prefer the ground a bit better, but she does seems to handle soft ground and it is case of all systems go with her.”
The Wexford trainer can secure another Grade Two prize when the dour-staying Quito De La Roque lines up for the Ten Up Novice Chase. Michael O’Leary’s half-brother to Kazal looked to have got Royal De La Thinte’s measure at Naas last time when the latter tipped up at the last and should revel in the conditions.
“We’ve freshened him up and we’re happy with him and he won’t mind the trip or the ground on Sunday.
“He’s in the RSA Chase and the four-miler (National Hunt Chase) at Cheltenham, and I guess we can make a decision on where we go after the weekend,” Murphy said.
Saludos can bounce back to form in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase for trainer Jessica Harrington.
Weather Watch
LEOPARDSTOWN’S authorities are expecting no weather problems ahead of today’s big card, but the forecast of overnight rain has some fingers crossed at Navan.
“The forecast is for 4-10mm of rain. The hurdles course should be able to take that,” manager Darren Lawlor said yesterday. “We would like things on the lower end of the scale for the chase course.
“But if the forecast is right, I would be optimistic. What we don’t want is to wake up Sunday morning and see we’ve got 14mm.”
